OT: military mommies - need some advice!!!

surfergirl602

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Hey all you mil moms out there - need some advice on a situation that has just risen to my attention. here's some background information.

I live on a small post that has just been taken over by RCI, privatized housing. Well, 2/3 of the housing is being demoed and rebuilt because it's so old. Our house is on that list. Rather than sign a lease into quarters that we would have to move out of in less than a year, into quarters that we would again have to move out of, we were given the option to move off post, because there isn't enough housing for the new people coming in as it is. We also didn't want to get rid of two of our pets because of the new two pet policy. We have three dogs and a cat. We found a lovely home about a half hour from post, and just moved this past weekend. School started on august 14th on post, my kids are enrolled there now. (They were enrolled, and started school while we still lived on post - you have to live on post to attend the school here.) The housing office told us that if your child is previously enrolled, you can continue out the year there if you move off post.

Well, I got a notice that the school is now requiring a copy of your lease with the housing office to be enrolled. We don't have one!!! When we enrolled this year, they needed a copy of your housing letter (before they switched to private) a copy of orders, etc. We turned all that in. A lease copy was NOT required when the kids were enrolled. (we enrolled ahead of all the new people and at that time, no copy of the lease was necessary.)

I got this letter in email this morning. It went out to everyone post wide:


Enrollment to xxxxxxx Schools is limited to the dependents of active duty service members and Department of Defense employees residing on post. Department of Defense Education Activity requires local schools to verify this eligibility with a copy of pages one and three of a current lease signed with the RCI contractor.

At present, many student enrollment files are incomplete because the sponsor has not provided the school with a copy of the lease. Parents are strongly urged to provide the school with this document right away. It can be submitted by fax, or email to the Principal.

xxxxxx Schools will undergo a 100% enrollment file audit this week by a representative of our District Superintendent’s Office from which a list of delinquent files will be generated.

Failure to submit required enrollment documents will ultimately result in a notice of impending disenrollment, so please follow these requirements by sending in your lease today!

I have no idea what to do. I am worried sick about this. I don't want my kids to be kicked out because of information that we never received in writing during a transition period of the housing office. My husband leaves in 12 days for school, then Iraq. I work full time on post. Our entire support network is on post. This is the first time my kids are going to be away from their daddy, and to throw them into a new school during this time would completely traumatize them. They've gone to school here for the past three years now. I would have to quit my job because I work 9 to 5, and would have to be able to be near them. I would not have daycare for my daughter, which is on post. We need to get in to see the principal, but I just don't know what to say. I'm just worrying too much, of course, because I'm scared silly about my husband being gone and being alone for over a year with three children. Because of the information we were told, I never even thought twice about moving, and having them still go to school here. I just assumed that I could take their word for it. Now I'm signed into a lease with our landlord, paying rent, and there's no housing available for me to move into back on post. I just have no idea what to do - I know I need to be proactive and see if we can get an exception to policy to be able to let the kids stay enrolled, but I'm freaking out right now. The stress is just too much!!! :sad1:

What should I do? What should I say to the principal?
 
It sounds like you know what you need to do. Definitely go right in and talk to the principal. Then at least you'll know exactly where you stand. Hopefully things aren't as bad as they seem.
Make sure you don't let your kids know how upset you are. They will take their cues from you and you don't want them to be stressed out. If they have to change schools you want them to think it's a good thing!
Good luck,
Sarah
 
Not military but have a thought, did you move out early due to the housing changes and if so, do you have and could you use the lease from the prior placement?

Also, can you find it in writing somewhere that have the right to stay enrolled for the remainder of the year of the move? It might help when you go in to talk to the school.

OT - thanks for your husband's (and his family's) service to us all.
 
Not military but have a thought, did you move out early due to the housing changes and if so, do you have and could you use the lease from the prior placement?

Also, can you find it in writing somewhere that have the right to stay enrolled for the remainder of the year of the move? It might help when you go in to talk to the school.

OT - thanks for your husband's (and his family's) service to us all.

I had already turned in the housing agreement that we had that was required at the time of registration. Now they are requesting even more info from everyone. I do not see why its even necessary if those people that turned in their housing agreement from before and met the requirements then, do not meet them now. :sad2: I just don't even want to think about what my kids will go through if they lose this, too.
 

Talk to them. My DH got out of the Navy in October, but our DD was enrolled at the CDC on base in the public school pre-K starting a few months before. We talked with the teacher and and the school and they let her finish the whole school year with her pre-K class. Everyone agreed that uprooting her and trying to find another program in the middle of the year would not be worth it.

With the program being a public school one, even though it's located on base, they were reluctant to 'kick her out' since it's not uncommon for kids to finish out a school year in the off-base schools after a move. There were some hiccups, but those were due mostly to the fact that both DH and I were both civilians and sometimes the school would have functions on further on the base where we no longer had access. Your kid's school is public right? I know the elementary here located on base is part of the state's public school system and they have to abide by Georgia rules even though it's connected to the base. It's worth a shot to try anyway! :thumbsup2
 
I would go in and talk to the principal. Who was it that told you that you only needed a copy of your housing letter? Can you talk to them about this? With your husband about to be deployed and you working there it seems like they would be understanding about not uprooting your kids right now.

I know that with the military there is always a bunch of red tape and they always seem to be changing the rules. Not that it helps you but I totally understand how you feel! My dd's dad is retired AF, and she still has Tricare and has to go to the clinic on the base. I don't even have a pass right now, I don't even want to start about what a headache that is!:headache:

Anyway, good luck, I hope everything works out for you! Just hang in there, I know it's hard!:hug:
 
Definately go and talk to the school/principal. But be a Mama Bear...don't let them mess with your cubs if you know what I mean :)
Be nice but definately assertive. Sounds like you were told two different stories...which happens alot huh?
I am an almost 20 year Navy wife, so I have had my share of military induced stress headaches :rolleyes:
 
Talk to them. My DH got out of the Navy in October, but our DD was enrolled at the CDC on base in the public school pre-K starting a few months before. We talked with the teacher and and the school and they let her finish the whole school year with her pre-K class. Everyone agreed that uprooting her and trying to find another program in the middle of the year would not be worth it.

With the program being a public school one, even though it's located on base, they were reluctant to 'kick her out' since it's not uncommon for kids to finish out a school year in the off-base schools after a move. There were some hiccups, but those were due mostly to the fact that both DH and I were both civilians and sometimes the school would have functions on further on the base where we no longer had access. Your kid's school is public right? I know the elementary here located on base is part of the state's public school system and they have to abide by Georgia rules even though it's connected to the base. It's worth a shot to try anyway! :thumbsup2


Actually, no, it is not public. It's military only, DODEA. Civilians that work on post are not allowed to attend the school.
 
An update: It turns out that we'll be PCSing to OK (follow on duty station) in december, so that might help the situation....
 
Question to you all: I work 9 to 5, and usually get my lunch around 3, to 3:30. The principal is usually gone by then. Would it be okay to send me an email explaining my situation, and request to have a meeting at her convenience, or would that not be okay?
 
Actually, no, it is not public. It's military only, DODEA. Civilians that work on post are not allowed to attend the school.

Ahh, definitely different. I think emailing the principle and asking for a meeting at her convenience is a very good idea. Good luck!
 
I would talk to the principal. My suggestion is that you see if you can arrange for an earlier lunch one day so that you can talk to the principal in person. An email might work but if it were me as the principal this is how I would look at it: She wants to keep her kids at school on base but won't take the time to come see me and discuss this face to face.

If your kids education on base is that important to you, find a way to arrange it so you can talk to the principal one on one.

This is kind of a sticky situation. You are being forced out in a sense because they will be tearing down your house. On the other hand I know where we are stationed if you don't live on base your kids can't go to school there.

We've only lived on base once and we won't ever do it again. Granted where we are PCSing to next doesn't have housing so there's no choice. After that DH is retiring and military life will be over with.

Good luck!
 

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